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Counselor's Office: Holloway's Long Overdue Eval

Posted April 16, 2020, 10:10 p.m. by Captain Molly Holloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) (Joana Ribeiro)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Renveer (Counselor) in Counselor’s Office: Holloway’s Long Overdue Eval

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Renveer (Counselor) in Counselor’s Office: Holloway’s Long Overdue Eval

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Renveer (Counselor) in Counselor’s Office: Holloway’s Long Overdue Eval
Posted by… suppressed (9) by the Post Ghost! 👻
It had once again been a reluctant appointment. In fact, it hadn’t been the appointment that had been reluctant, but rather her attendance of it.

She was ten when she had first been seen by a counselor, and since then, counselors had been a constant in her life. They had been so much of a constant that she had even dated one for a three years.

And now, a few days after the Dresden’s new CNS had boarded, her terminal had alerted her that she had an upcoming appointment. As usual, Holloway dismissed it almost instantly. She had no intention of setting foot in the Counselor’s office. Until it occurred to her that if she behaved in said appointment, she might be able to get her holodeck privileges back.

That was why, a few minutes before the scheduled time, Captain Molly Grace Holloway was walking through the Dresden to meet Commander Renveer. A practiced polite smile on her face.

As she reached the door, she carefully adjusted her trademark ballerina bun and straightened her freshly pressed uniform. Holloway looked her best self.

Then, without hesitation, she pressed the chime and waited to be called inside.

Capt. Holloway, CIO

OOC: Molly’s psychological history is at the end of her bio, in case you want to look at it. – Joana

“You’re early Captain,” came a pleasantly surprised voice from behind Holloway. Renveer smiled warmly over the long stem of the potted white orchid he carried in his arms. He looked down at the flower to apologize for being unable to extend a hand. He moved to take the lead position at his door, which he bumped with a shoulder to get it to slide open. “Please, come in!”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Molly said startled, moving aside to let the Counselor through. She shot the practiced polite smile at the man before taking a long look at the orchid in his hands. Her smile softened slightly at the sight of the plant. There was something about flowers that made her feel at peace, and yet she had none in her quarters. Maybe she should review her non-existent decor.

The counselor set the flower down on a wooden cabinet in one corner of the room, then moved the old-fashioned lamp that shared the space to make a little more room for the blossoming plant. He turned to take his seat in the high-backed chair across from the loveseat style couch, which he offered to Holloway with an outstretched hand. “Welcome back Captain, I know that you’re quite familiar with therapy. To be honest, your file makes it sound like you’ve spent more time in a counselor’s office than I have,” he chuckled good-naturedly. There wasn’t any negative connotation behind the statement, if anything there was a hint of admiration. “But, I noticed that you’ve been taking a bit of a sabbatical from mental health services in recent years. Why’s that, if you don’t mind me asking?”

(Lt. Comm. Renveer, Counselor)

Walking in behind the Counselor, Molly observed as he made space for the beautiful orchid. The space was decorated much differently than how Commander Nunn had set it when she was on board.

This one was a joker, Holloway thought grimly as the playful words of Commander Renveer reacher her ears. Trill or not, there were things that didn’t seem to change. She had gotten a fair share of counselors and other medical professionals that believed joking made their patients feel better. But humor had never been one of Molly’s strong suits. Usually, all she really wanted was to be done with whatever appointment she was in. Turning to the Counselor, the smile that settled on Molly’s lips didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Well, Commander…” Holloway finally replied. “I would think that you would know it better than any other officer on this ship. That when one spends as much time in a counselor’s office as I have, it is necessary to take a break every once in a while.” It was, of course, a deflection. A way to avoid giving the real reason behind her lack of presence in counseling appointments.

One of Renveer’s eyebrows popped up as his smile widened slyly. This one’s a witty one, he thought with amusement. “And I’m sure you know very well that when Starfleet makes it a condition of your service that you maintain regular psychological observation, the newly assigned counselor is under a lot of pressure to make sure that happens.”

Sitting down in the border of the offered seat, it was clear from Molly’s posture that she didn’t want to take long in the Counselor’s office. Sighing softly she commented almost apologetically. “I’m sure that after seeing my extensive therapy records, you must think I am crazy. I can assure you that is not the case, but I can’t blame you if you do. Command seems to think the same, or I wouldn’t be here today.”

Capt. Holloway, CIO

Renveer waved a hand dismissively. “Crazy? No, in fact given the time that you’ve spent in the company of my colleagues, I’d venture to guess that you’re one of the most sane people on this ship.” He smiled again, continuing to joke, “That is, if any of them were any good at their jobs.” The counselor crossed one leg over the other at the knee and clasped his hands around the propped-up leg. “I’m sure this comes as no surprise given my professional bias, but I think Command should have every Starfleet officer under regular psychological observation.”

Molly couldn’t quite pinpoint whether the Counselor was joking or being serious. Or maybe a little bit of both. It was interesting that he had mentioned that in his opinion every Starfleet officer should be under regular psychological observation… Given the strain that long-term space travel generally caused, it was a wise assertion that Molly never had considered. A splinter of admiration for the Dresden’s new counselor made its way to her spirit, and she found herself intrigued by the man.

Renveer shook his head lightly. “But I’m getting off-topic. When I was reviewing your files, Captain, I noticed that the last counselor’s note, and indeed every one before that, referred to you with the name Wright. It looks like you changed your moniker back to your birth name last year. I’m curious if there was an inciting reason for the shift.” Renveer wasn’t quite sure yet what to make of Holloway. She had already put on a mask, deflected a question, and attempted to garner sympathy. She was an intelligence officer, of course. Renveer was very aware that he would have to tread carefully if he hoped to establish any sort of genuine therapeutic rapport with the woman.

(Lt. Comm. Renveer, Counselor)

It was an interesting question, and one Holloway didn’t see coming. Generally, all her initial evaluations started with a question about what brought her in that day, what was on her mind, how did she feel about her current situation… However, Renveer seemed to be more detail oriented. It something Molly definitely appreciated in an officer, although not so much when she was the one under scrutiny. But it made her respect for the Counselor grow ever so slightly, which for Holloway was not a very common occurrence.

“I…” Molly paused for a second, choosing her words carefully. “Wright was my mother’s maiden name. I was… adopted as a child so that was the name I chose to go by when that happened.” She twisted her hands slightly in her lap. “Last year, I was able to reconnect with part of my family and I was reminded of my own origins. Using my mother’s maiden name didn’t make sense anymore, so I decided to go back to where I came from, if that makes sense.” There was no smile or frown on her lips, and no indication whether that particular subject was a sore or a welcome one. Molly’s tone was casual throughout her description, even though it was clear that it was merely a short summary of what had led to her decision.

Capt. Holloway, CIO

Renveer nodded thoughtfully. “It does. You have a sister in Starfleet, right? Stationed on the Asimov now? I saw that she spent six months on the Dresden for her internship, is that the reconnection you’re referring to?” Renveer wasn’t quite sure what the timelines were, but it seemed plausible that this internship had been in the last year.

“Ah, no.” Molly’s face lit up with a grin. It was almost as if she was relived to be talking about her sister instead of someone else. A topic that clearly was much easier for Holloway to talk about. “Erin and I grew up together.” She replied. “We have kept in constant touch ever since I left for the Academy. No reconnection needed. If anything, I’m sure she would like me to step back a little. Sometimes I feel like I am the overbearing mother she never had, and she wants to keep me at a distance.” Molly chuckled. “Dad’s talked to me about it, and I think I am a little better at it now… But it’s still very much a work in progress.”

“Although… I guess her records were not updated though.” Molly said after a pause. “She’s no longer on the Asimov…” Holloway sighed softly. “I knew she was not going to last long in Starfleet once the Federation’s Science Council reached out to her. That’s been her dream ever since I can remember… but I’m glad she has that opportunity.”

In any case, he intended to inquire further. “But your sister uses the name Hazen, yes? I apologize for prying, surnames aren’t common among trill. How did you two get along when she was aboard, if you don’t mind me asking?” The counselor seemed genuinely interested in the answers. Although it may sound like it, he wasn’t trying to interrogate Holloway. Really, he was just trying to get to know her.

(Lt. Comm. Renveer, Counselor)

Molly nodded in understanding at the mention of the differences between human and trill culture. “Hazen is our adoptive father’s last name. When he took us in, I chose to go by Wright, it being our mother’s maiden name and all. But… I didn’t want to make the choice for Erin as she was four at the time. Though, I didn’t want her to keep our old family name either.” Holloway scoffed softly. “Ironic, isn’t it? Anyway… Me and dad thought that maybe she could share his last name instead.” There was a gentle smile on her face at the memory. She answered the question honestly. She didn’t, however, mention why she had been so adamant to change their last names to begin with.

The last question, however, left Molly a little more in the defensive line, especially since her sister had been the one wonderful constant throughout her life. The only thing that nudged a reply out of Holloway was the seemingly genuine concern the Counselor showed for her answers. It felt more as if they were having an informal conversation rather than the regular counseling sessions she had grown accustomed to.

“It was good to have Erin on board for six months.” Molly started. “We hadn’t been together in the same place for a while, and we had the chance to go out and have dinner together. To catch up and do things we hadn’t done in a long time. Although she spent half her down time in the lounge starting at guys…” Holloway’s annoyance was clear. “But such is Erin and there’s nothing I can do about it. She’s the extrovert in the family.” A note of pride made its way back into the Intel officer’s tone. Molly was proud of her sister, almost in a motherly way. “And well… I was happy that she got another shot at that internship, since…” There was a calculated pause. “… since her first shot at it ended almost before it started.”

Capt. Holloway, CIO

Renveer smiled as he listened to Holloway talk about her sister, which she obviously adored. “She sounds like an exceptional young woman, and the Federation Science Council is lucky to have her. We share some similar family dynamics, I have a younger brother who is the ‘extrovert in the family’ as well. From my personal experience, I know that younger siblings can be a bit much to handle sometimes, so it’s good to hear that you and Erin have always gotten along and been there for each other when you’ve needed it.”

Molly smiled softly, comforted by the sense of connection and understanding coming from the Counselor’s own experience.

As Renveer continued, he tried his best to keep his tone casual as the line of questioning became a little more pointed. “I imagine her departure felt like a little bit of a loss for your support system on the Dresden. In the time after she left, did you find other crew members to connect with on-board? People you could confide in, vent to, relax with?”

(Lt. Comm. Renveer, Counselor)

Molly pondered the question for a moment — not exactly thinking about the answer, but rather about what she should or should not say. She knew where he was going with it. Or at least, she thought she did.

“Erin was never part of my support system, per se…” Molly started. “Well…” She was visibly trying to phrase her feelings correctly. “There was a time when, even though she was not actively helping me, she was the person I relied on. That time has long past.” Holloway paused again. “When I enrolled at C.A. Riley at fourteen, I had to learn to move in a world without my sister. Three years later, she started attending Harker School in San Jose, and I got into the Academy a year later. I was half way through the program when she enrolled in high school. At that point, not only was she not around as she didn’t want me around… if you know what I mean.” Molly shot Renveer a weak smile. “She’s smart, beautiful, part of the cheer squad… I mean… she didn’t want her annoying older sister shooing all the boys away from her.” She chuckled softly, but her expression grew serious quickly.

“We started talking regularly in the evenings, when I was assigned to the Montgomery. She had just been accepted at UCLA. It was good for both of us. So when she came to the Dresden we had been doing that that for at least two years… we stopped it completely while I was off with Intel, of course, but when she left it was just like going back to the old days.”

“I learnt to rely on other members of the crew for support a long time ago.” Molly thought about Ashton, the counselor on board both the Montgomery and the Turing. He had been the one teaching her the value of human connections on board a starship. So much so that they had been engaged for almost the two whole years they had served together.

Holloway smiled softly at the Counselor’s last question. “Colonel Harris is a very close friend of mine. He was the Commander of the Turing’s Marine Expeditionary Unit. When I came back from Intel training, he requested me personally to be his Chief Intelligence Officer.” She shrugged. “He’s the one person I go to for my personal troubles, so to speak. That and the holodeck. So far that has seemed to work just fine.” Molly carefully omitted the fact that even though the Dresden’s CO was in fact a very close friend of hers, the pair had been involved in a serious relationship for the past two and a half years.

Capt. Holloway, CIO

Renveer nodded at the mention of the Dresden’s commanding officer, but intended on holding the information he had learned from Commander Manning close to his chest for the moment. “Tell me about this friendship with Colonel Harris. I’m sure you’re aware that he referred you to counseling following, if I’m not mistaken…” he paused to reach for a PaDD on the nearby shelf, scrolling through it for a second, “yes, a holodeck accident where the safeties were disabled.” He looked up at Holloway with a slightly raised eyebrow.

Renveer set the PaDD aside and leaned forward slightly. “Do you think Colonel Harris referred you to counseling as a punishment or out of genuine concern?”

(Lt. Comm. Renveer, Counselor)

OOC: Sorry about the wait. Creativity has been hard to come by these days, but it’s slowly coming back. – Joana

IC:
Molly sighed, finding her hands very interesting for a moment. There went any possibility of her getting her full access to her program again. It would have been naïve of her to assume that the Counselor wouldn’t know about the incident, but somehow, the way the conversation had been going so far, she had hoped to broach the subject later in the session.

“Genuine concern.” Holloway said flatly. “He would never do anything to ‘punish’ me.” That had never been a question. She paused for a moment pondering on what she should say. “Calvin and I went through a lot together. Sometimes I feel like he knows me more than I know myself.” She smiled softly. Her fondness for the Dresden’s CO clear in her expression. “He worries about me. For no reason, I may add. He seems to believe that I need someone to look after me, but he doesn’t allow anyone to look after himself.” Molly shrugged. “The past year was not easy, Commander. For any of us.” It was the first time Holloway admitted any sort of hardship. “But Calvin doesn’t know half of it, because I know that if he ever does, he might do something he will regret. Not to mention, he already has enough on his plate.” Molly paused. “Because of that, the holodeck became my main form of decompression. Of escape, if you will… and sometimes accidents happened. The situation you mentioned was an accident.” Or at least, that was the story she told herself. “But there’s no way I will ever convince him of such.”

Capt. Holloway, CIO


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